Talk of locating a major solar facility on the landfill site is nothing new.
It surfaced last year as Lexington Mayor Linda Gordon pushed back on a controversial proposal to build a solar farm in rural Fayette County — instead, arguing a solar generation facility at Haley Pike would be more appropriate.
"We think solar projects are possible here without forcing us to give up irreplaceable farmland, a key component of our signature industry," she said.
Although proponents of the rural project said the landfill location wasn't sufficient to move the needle in a big way toward the city's renewable energy goals, Edelen Renewables, which revealed the new plans for Hailey Pike, says their proposal is a "bold opportunity" to repurpose forgotten land while creating jobs and promoting sustainability.
The power generated on the 400-acre site would be directed to Kentucky utilities. If approved, the solar project could be up and running as early as 2027.